Press Release, 15.07.2025

Photo: Alexander Lazutin / Photo from the personal archive

Yabloko has nominated Alexander Lazutin, Chairman of the Kostroma regional branch of Yabloko and General Director of the agricultural enterprise Shunga, as a candidate for the Kostroma City Duma elections. The candidate has three days left to collect 50 signatures in support of his nomination. Alexander Lazutin is nominated in electoral constituency No. 18.

Alexander Lazutin was born on 27 October 1960. He graduated from the agricultural institute with a degree in “agricultural scientist”. Immediately after graduating from the institute, he began working in agriculture.

In 1993, he created the Mechta (Dream) farm. Now Mechta is a leader in potato and vegetable production in the Kostroma region. He reorganised the bankrupt agricultural cooperative into the competitive joint-stock company Shunga, which has been the top farm in milk yields and is an exemplary agricultural enterprise in terms of ecology, work organisation and employees recreation.

Since 2002, Alexander Lazutin has been Chairman of the Association of Peasant (Farming) Enterprises of the Kostroma region.

Lazutin develops the agricultural cooperative movement in Kostroma region: the Polye (Field) and Agro-Kostroma cooperatives operate on the basis of modern technologies, produce high-quality products and are competitive.

In 2006, Alexander Lazutin was elected deputy of the Kostroma Regional Duma and Chairman of the Committee on Agricultural Policy, Natural Resources and Environment. Laws that were important for regional residents in the spheres of the agro-industrial complex, urban planning, natural resource use and nature conservation were developed under his leadership. He gave priority to problems of rural area development, including creation of modern infrastructure for Kostroma villages, road construction, agricultural production development, and protection of the social interests of low-income citizens.

In 2010, at his initiative, sectoral agricultural unions and organisations united into a single agricultural community the Kostroma Agricultural Union. Lazutin was elected its President.

Alexander Lazutin is an Honoured Farmer of Russia and Honoured Agricultural Worker of the Kostroma region.

For registration in the elections, Alexander Lazutin needs to collect about 50 signatures from Kostroma residents in support of his nomination by 19 July. Elections in Kostroma will take place on 14 September.